What is the best healthy bread? Being such a versatile food, bread is certainly a staple of our diets.

It goes with almost anything and almost everyone likes it.

Healthy living plans often advise you to just cut bread right out of your diet.

However, there is bread out there which can do you good.

DESIblitz has researched different bread types with the best health benefits so you can eat well and still enjoy a slice of toast.

Sourdough Bread

Sourdough is a chewy and textured bread. As well as being delicious and full of flavour, sourdough is one of the healthiest bread types.

Sourdough’s unique texture is formed by the use of wild yeast in its creation. This has the impact of producing a long, slow fermentation.

The wild yeast also has the effect of lowering levels of phytates in the flour. Phytic acid is a chemical which makes the bread more difficult to digest.

It has a lower glycemic index than ordinary white bread, which means it’s better for your blood sugar.

Lastly because sourdough is so easy to digest, it can be one of the better healthy bread options if you suffer from food intolerances.

Soda Bread

Soda bread is a hearty bread made with baking soda instead of yeast, which gives it its name.

To start with, soda bread is very rich in fibre. This is good for you because it promotes good digestion and can be helpful for weight loss.

As soda bread does not use yeast, it can be more digestible for some people compared with typical white bread. This can also be good if you are intolerant to yeast.

Soda bread can also be considered a healthy bread because of its low cholesterol and saturated fat levels. This is great for both your heart and your blood.

This bread is also an excellent source of manganese and selenium. Manganese helps with your bone structure and selenium is important for a healthy immune system.

Soya and Linseed Bread

This healthy bread is made with soy flour and linseed (also known as flaxseed), so as well as being tasty it’s a great alternative if you have an intolerance for plain flour.

First of all, this bread has a much higher protein content compared to white bread. Soy flour contains 30-50 grammes of protein per cup, more than twice that of wheat flour.

The linseed in the bread can also provide more than 100 percent of your recommended amount of omega-3 fatty acid. This is great because it can help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Linseeds are also great for digestive issues. You can use them to help with IBS as well as reduce bloating and constipation.

Soy and linseed loaves are another healthy bread packed with fibre. By adding linseeds to your diet, you can increase the amount of fibre you consume.

Pita Bread

Pita is a type of flatbread with a small pocket in the centre to hold food.

It’s better for you than many other bread types simply because you eat less of it. Rather than sandwiching two pieces of pita bread together, the filling would go in the middle.

You would eat half the amount as you might with ordinary bread slices.

Pita bread is a rich source of various types of vitamin B. Vitamin B subtypes are generally great for keeping your nervous system healthy.

Pita bread is also a healthy bread because it contains less unhealthy fats than many other breads. It is also another good source of fibre, to keep your digestive system healthy.

Rye Bread

Rye bread gets its distinctive flavour from the rye grain, which is closely related to barley.

Similar to sourdough, rye bread is more easily digestible. This means that it can be easier to eat if you suffer from food intolerances.

As it is made with rye, this bread doesn’t actually contain any wheat. This means that it can help with digestive issues like bloating or stomach aches.

Rye bread is also a healthy bread because it contains fewer calories than white bread. It does, however, contain much more fibre.

Rye bread also has a lower glycemic index than white bread. This means that is can be good for your blood sugar levels.

Whole Grain Bread

Possibly the most well known healthy bread, whole grain bread is made with a less finely milled flour than white bread.

Look for specific grains in the bread for certain health benefits. Whole grains like oats and barley are good sources of fibre to keep your digestive system in check.

The whole grains in the bread can help lower cholesterol and triglycerides. These can both contribute to heart disease, so whole grain bread is great to keep your heart healthy.

Like pita bread, whole grain bread also contains vitamin B. In addition to this, whole grains help you feel fuller for longer. You’ll probably end up eating less whole grain bread than you would white bread, so it can be good for portion control.

There are even some studies which indicate that eating whole grain bread can help with asthma and dental health. Whole grain bread is a good all-rounder, so they’re a great choice for a healthy bread which isn’t too out there.

So if you’re looking to start a healthier lifestyle, there’s no need for you to cut out bread. It’s all just a matter of finding a healthy bread which suits you.

Give one of these healthy bread options a try and you’ll be reaping the rewards without having to make your taste buds pay the price.

Aimee is an International Politics graduate and a foodie who loves being daring and trying new things. Passionate about reading and writing with aspirations to be a novelist, she keeps herself inspired by the saying: “I am, therefore I write.”